30 Years of Darr: Here’s how Hrithik Roshan played an important part in providing the apt title to the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer

By Fenil Seta -

December 24, 2023 - 12:02 PM IST

Darr (1993), an important film in Indian cinema, completed 30 glorious years on December 24. It starred Shah Rukh Khan in the breakthrough role of an obsessive stalker. The way he performed the part and his ‘K-K-K-Kiran’ dialogue made him a force to reckon with. Juhi Chawla and Sunny Deol also starred in this musical drama, which was produced and directed by Yash Chopra. A lot has been said about the film’s casting, issues that cropped up between Shah Rukh and Sunny etc. However, many are not aware of Hrithik Roshan’s contribution to Darr. On the 30th anniversary of this movie, we will throw light on this lesser-known aspect.

30 Years of Darr: Here’s how Hrithik Roshan played an important part in providing the apt title to the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer

Uday Chopra, who was an assistant to Yash Chopra in Darr, revealed in an old video to his father that he and Hrithik Roshan came across a Hollywood thriller, Dead Calm (1989). They recommended it to Aditya Chopra. He loved it so much that it germinated into Darr. Uday also stated in the video that Darr was a title that Hrithik Roshan had used for what seemed to be a low-budget short film. Aditya found the title apt and that’s how the classic film got the title.

Uday Chopra said, “There’s a little-known fact about Darr and the way it started. Hrithik and I were watching a movie once, a very lesser-known film, called Dead Calm. We saw a video of that film and we decided to make Adi see it, just to show him a very good film.”

Uday continued, “Adi saw that film and he loved it instantly. That is how the inspiration for Darr came out. In fact, Darr was the title that Hrithik had kept for a movie which he had actually made. It was an amateur movie which he had shot. So, it was Hrithik’s title. When Adi decided to make this film, he told Hrirthik ‘I am going to use this title because it suits the film very well’.” Yash Chopra, meanwhile, seems surprised as he didn’t know about the trivia of his own film at all.

Story behind Yash Chopra's Darr pic.twitter.com/YMabeDocqi
— Manish (@rmanish1) January 8, 2023

Darr is a story of an obsessive lover who goes crazy when the girl he passionately loves gets engaged to a Navy officer. Apart from Shah Rukh Khan’s legendary performance and thrilling moments, Darr is also memorable for its evergreen soundtrack. Dead Calm, meanwhile, stars Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane. It is the story of a couple grieving the death of their son when they come across a stranger who has abandoned a sinking ship. He kidnaps the wife, leading to madness.

Also Read: Darr completes 30 years; Juhi Chawla says, “It was special to have Shah Rukh Khan in the film”